Daniel m



DANIELMQLAMB, OF'NEW, YoRK,.N. Y.

MOTH AND 'wATER PROQFING COMPOUND,

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N6; 224,296, dated February 10, 1880.

V Application filed June 17,.1879.

To all whom "it may concern Be it knownthat I, DANIEL MARTIN'LAMB andMoth Proof or Repellent; and I. hereby declare the following specification to bea full and clear description of "the same.

The object of this inventionis to prepare a compound adapted to be appl ie'd' to various kinds and qualities of goods 'for th'e purpose of rendering them impervious =-to =water*or v moisture, and at the same time to render them indestructible by snch'verminasunoths: 7

compound embrace every variety of 'textile fabrics, from the most delicate fabrics to'the heaviest goods, such ascarpets; tents, sails of vessels, &c., and the compound used is such that it may be applied'to' the mostdelicate shades or tints of ostrich-feathers,"or any other feathers or furs that claim the attention of the taxidermist, or any beautiful specimens;

either in color or texture, thauare intended to pound are such that no delicacy of shade or coloring will be injured by the treatment therewith, but, on the contrary, the colors-towhich the compound shall be appliedwill become and remain more fixed-anduniading, for'the reason that humidity will be excluded from every pore and'fiber of the article treated, and hence all incipient decay will be prohibited.

The materials used for this purpose, the manner of compounding them, and the pro cess of treating the goods are as follows: I take any of the lighter hydrocarbons, such as naphtha, benzine, benzole, gasoline, 850., but only such as are of 70 gravity or over, and to every gallon of such oil I add from one-quarter of an ounce to one ounce of india-rubber, gutta-percha, milkweed gum, or any other similar hydrocarbon gumg This mixture may be prepared orcompounded in any desired quantity, and it will preferably be,

madein a vessel similar to that used-and known in coal-oil refineries as an agitator.

In thisyesseltthe mixture prepared as above described will be allowed 'to remain until all of the gum shall have been'dissolved, and to facilitate this partof-the'process-the gum should first be cut up into small pieces.

After the gum shall have been fully dissolved, to every gallon of this mixture I add about four pounds (more or less) of chloride of sodium or common salt, and immediately thereafter I add to -the compound about four pounds (more or less) ofsulphuricacid. This a mixture should beallowed to standquietly-in The goods intended to be treated by-this theagitator or-vessel in which it is mixed' for thesalt will bedistributedover the bottom of thevessel,-and the sulphuricacidyimpinging directly u-ponfithe *salt, will generate hydrouchlori'c-acid gas, the powerful bleaching qualities of whicllgwill thoroughly bleach and cure;

the india-rubber or other gum, as well-asbleach and whiten the entire compound. Thegas set' free in; the manner above'describedwill rise through the mass of the mixture in thevessel andattackthemucilaginous portions of the compound :and precipitate them to thebottom;

of the =vessel-.- After this gaseous treatment shall have been continued for about twenty-four hours oneor more currentsof airwill be driven through the mass of the compound from a suit able air compressor or blower, the air being conductedfrom the blower or compressor to one or more points in the bottom of thevessel through suitable piping, the-outlet end or ends of which' will be submerged within the mass under treatment. The injected current of air will be continued until all, or nearly all, ofthe evolved gas shall have been driven oh,

production of a water and moth proofing compound.

In addition to the treatment of the mixture as above described I add during the washing process a small quantity of caustic soda or ammonia to the mixture, so as to eliminate any remaining gas or impurity that may be in the mixture, as well as to deprive it of any odor or unpleasant smell.

The washing of the mass having been completed it will be allowed to remain quiet until it shall have been thoroughly settled, the time for this being, say, one hour, (more or less,) and after it shall have thoroughly settled the water and sediment will remain at the bottom of the vessel. where it may be drawn oh, and the waterproofing and moth-killing compound will stand on top of the water, whence it may be drawn off and decanted for use, or kept in the generating-vessel until wanted by closing the top of the said vessel tightly, so as to prevent loss by evaporation.

The foregoing treatment of the dissolved in- (lia-rubber or other gum while it is held in solution by means of the above-described hydrochloric-acid gas will be such as to change the mass into an entirely new chemical compound, which will not decompose, as would a mere mechanical mixture of the india-rubber, &c., and hydrocarbon at 32 Fahrenheit, and will not do so at() Fahrenheit, or even below that point, the precise degree being as yet undetermined. Neither is the precise chemical form of the compound yet determined with accuracy; but itis.

perfectly, or nearly perfectly, colorless and is odorless, the bleaehin g efi'ect produced by the hydrochloric-acid gas being of the most perfect character.

The process of treating goods by this compound will be as follows: A suitable tank or vessel titted with a removable but tightly-sealing cover will be provided, and this vessel will be filled, or partly filled, with the compound fluid prepared as above described. The goods to be treated will then be immersed in this bath and the cover carefully put on and sealed, so as to prevent evaporation and loss, and the goods will be allowed to remain a sufficient length of time to become thorougly saturated, the time required for this varying considerably, obviously for the reason that some goods are more porous than others, and this fact must be considered as well as the thickness of the goods under treatment; but from half an hour to one hour in the bath will be sufficient for most articles, though others may require more time.

In lieu of the bath the liquid compound may in some special cases be applied with a brush; but the treatment will always be by submergence in a bath wherever that mode is possible. After the bath or otherwise coating of the goods under treatment, all adhering moisture will be shaken or brushed off, and then'the goods will be hung up to dry in a close room, which is to be keptat a tolerably high temperaturesay 85 to 100 Fahrenheit. After the goods shall have been thoroughly dried in this manner they may be packed away for use or sale, as required.

Although this treatment fills the double purpose of rendering the goods water-proof and also moth-proof, still it may, of course, be readily used and without any disadvantage where only either one of the objects gained is sought.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The process herein described of preparing a water and moth proofing compound by treat. ing a solution of the described hydrocarbon gum dissolved in any suitable light hydrocarbon solvent, and then submitting the solution so formed for about twenty-four hours (more or less) to the action of a gas formed by the union of chloride of sodium and sulphuric acid, and then innnediately after such gaseous treatment submitting the compound to a powerful agitation of a current of air, whereby the remaining gas is driven from the compound, and then washing the compound with water and an alkaline solution, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The water and moth proof compound consistmg ot' the described hydrocarbon gum dissolved in any suitable solvent or light hydrocarbon treated with hydrochloric-acid gas and freed from residual acid gas and other vapors, and finally washed with water and alkalies, as herein set forth.

DANIEL M. LAMB.

Witnesses:

M. RANDOLPH, R. G. RANDOLPH. 

